A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel inside the brain bursts or leaks. The leaking blood can put pressure on the brain, which can then damage brain cells. The first step in treating a hemorrhagic stroke is determining the source of the leak. Common sources of a hemorrhagic stroke include:

Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) – AVMs are abnormal clusters of veins and arteries that often form before birth. They can cause seizures or burst, causing blood leakage. Learn more about treatment for strokes caused by AVMs.

Hemorrhagic Stroke Treatment: Strokes Caused by Aneurysm

To treat a hemorrhagic stroke caused by aneurysm, we often use any of the following methods:

Aneurysm coiling (assisted by balloon or stent)

In this minimally invasive procedure, your surgeon will insert a thin tube into your groin area and use imaging technology to guide the tube directly to your aneurysm. Your surgeon will push a tiny coil from inside the tube into the aneurysm. The coil helps collect the blood and cause it to clot. This stops the aneurysm from leaking and prevents it from bursting again.

Sometimes, the shape of the aneurysm is very wide, making it difficult to place the coil effectively. In some of these cases, surgeons use a long, thin tube with a balloon at the tip to secure the coil in the aneurysm. In cases where a balloon does not help, surgeons can first place a stent in the aneurysm, and then put in the coil. The stent, which is a small mesh tube, helps keep the coil in place.

Aneurysm gluing

This innovative, new procedure is similar to aneurysm coiling (described above), but instead of inserting a coil, the surgeon injects a special glue-like substance to help stem any leaking and prevent additional flow of blood.

Wake Forest Baptist is currently the only hospital in the triad certified to perform aneurysm gluing. We were the second hospital in both North and South Carolina to receive our certification for performing this new and advanced procedure.

Aneurysm clipping

During this surgical procedure, your surgeon will first remove a part of the skull to gain access to the affected part of the brain. The surgeon will then insert a clamp at the bottom of the aneurysm. This will prevent the aneurysm from continuing to leak or from bursting again. Then, the surgeon will put the piece of removed skull back in place.

Hemorrhagic Stroke Treatment: Strokes Caused by AVMs

To treat hemorrhagic strokes caused by AVMs, we use the following treatment methods:

AVM gluing

In this minimally invasive procedure, your surgeon will insert a thin tube into the groin area and use imaging technology to guide the tube directly to the AVM. Your surgeon will inject a glue-like substance through the tube into the AVM to stop blood from leaking.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for AVM

Using the most sophisticated computer imaging technology, our stroke specialist team identifies the exact location of the AVM and then beams high frequency radiation waves directly at it. The radiation causes the AVM to clot and then disappear. This treatment targets the AVM precisely, and does not affect surrounding brain tissue.

AVM surgery

In some cases, AVMs need to be surgically removed. Our highly trained neurosurgeons use advanced computer imaging to locate the AVM. They carefully remove a portion of the skull to access the AVM and then surgically remove it.

Managing Brain Swelling With Decompressive Hemicraniectomy

In some cases, a hemorrhagic stroke can cause the brain to swell and push up against the skull, causing an increase in pressure in the skull. This is called elevated intracranial pressure, and it can cause significant brain damage, or even death. The stroke team at Wake Forest Baptist is skilled at reducing brain swelling and intracranial pressure using a surgical procedure called decompressive hemicraniectomy.

During the procedure, surgeons remove a significant portion of the skull to allow the brain to swell as much as possible. The brain returns to normal size before the surgeons replace the removed piece of skull.

No matter what type of treatment our hemorrhagic stroke specialists think is best for you or your loved one, we will walk you through the process, answer all your questions and help you with your transition into this new life. Learn more about stroke rehabilitation at Wake Forest Baptist.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.